C pedal height

Andrew Goulet · Posted 28 Dec 2021 6:06 pm

How do you all have your C pedal height adjusted in relation to the B (Emmons setup)?

I'm having a bit of frustration trying to get my C landing level with B when depressed. The B and A are perfect, but the C is just a fraction too high. I've run out of thread on the C rod; if I could get it one rotation lower, I think it would be perfect, but I'm at the absolute limit.

I'm gradually getting used to it but it feels so awkward and really makes my left foot work harder than necessary, especially when trying Mooney-style passages.

Full disclosure, I've really neglected the C pedal for a long time, and almost left it off my copedent when I strung up the D13 Marlen. But the action on the pedal is good and tight, it's just feels too high.

Is it all in my head??
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Larry Hobson · From: Valley Grande (Selma) Al USA

Many raise a and b one round. ? ? ?

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I like my A and C pedals to bottom out at about the same height, maybe the B pedal slightly lower. Since it often takes a bit more throw to get string 4 to go from E to F# than B to go to C#, that might require the C pedal to start just a bit higher than the A pedal, but not a lot.

If the problem is just that you've run out of thread on the C pedal rod, you might try lowering the back legs a hair, as long as you are OK with how your legs/knees fit under the guitar with that change. This lowers the back (towards you) of the pedals just a bit, and you could then raise the A and B pedals just a bit to to equalize them with the C pedal without running out of thread on its rod.

If you're already at the limit of how low you want the back of the guitar to be, then you probably want a slightly longer C pedal rod. Or perhaps you could use a short standoff, as used in a lift kit, to get a bit more length out of that pedal rod. I lift most my guitars, so for me, dealing with this kind of thing is easy - I would just make all the standoffs slightly longer.

Andrew Goulet · Posted 29 Dec 2021 5:42 am

Thanks, all.

A longer rod (longer by 1/4 inch maybe) would do it. I don't have a tap and die or the tools to bend rods, but this is certainly the best solution.

I guess my preferred height is A B C, highest to lowest, but I don't think that's possible with the throw length on the C (without changing my pretty much perfect setup on A and B).

The height of the guitar is perfect for me right now. This is the most comfortable a steel has ever been for me, and the C pedal thing is the last slightly uncomfortable thing. But like most things, it's hard to adjust one thing without others moving...
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Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Depending on how things are currently rodded, (and depending on the adjustments that are available on the Marlen, which I have never worked on) you possibly could make the C pedal a longer throw. By reducing the leverage efficiency in your rod hole choices at the changer and at the bellcrank and then by changing the pedal stop to allow the extra travel that the rodding changes require, you will be lowering the bottomed-out position of the C pedal without changing the top, at-rest position. There is potential to really mess things up, going this route, but it can be rewarding.
All depending on what is available to you on this guitar (including whether there is any further tweaking to be done or whether maybe you are already at the limit of the rod settings.

Chris Templeton · From: The Green Mountain State

Good comments, Jon. Several guitars I've had have a couple of pedal rod holes for different leverages where they "hook" to the body.
Increasing the leverage stiffens the feel of the pedal.
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Ian Worley · From: Sacramento, CA

I believe the easiest fix would be to just back the pedal stop screw out a little to set the bottomed-out pedal height where you want it (assuming you still have some adjustment range left there) then just re-tune the pulls. You shouldn't need to change any rodding, you'll just have some extra slack at the beginning of the pull.

Is this a pull-release Marlen?
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All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest - Paul Simon

Andrew Goulet · Posted 30 Dec 2021 6:38 am

Thanks, Ian! I'll take a look at that. It is a pull release Marlen.
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Marlen S12 and a ZT Club

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Unknowns (to me) in this discussion:

-- how is the height of the pedal in the up position? Does this need to be lowered too or is it at a good place?
-- does the Marlen have adjustable pedal stops? Some steels have adjustable starts, not stops. I'm just curious. Either option can definitely be used to alter the overall pull & position.

A longer pull via my method equals a lighter feel. But many uses of the C pedal benefit from a quick stroke so that might not be ideal.

Ian Worley · From: Sacramento, CA

What we're suggesting here is basically the same Jon in terms of lowering the bottom pedal height, I'm just suggesting that perhaps adjusting the pedal travel is all that is needed. The P/R Marlens I've seen have an adjustable stop screw in both directions on the pedal crank, so simply shifting the start and stop points on the crank will effectively lower the pedal. Whether this provides a comfortable feel is another question, but it's an easy place to start.

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All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest - Paul Simon

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Johnny Cox · Posted 30 Dec 2021 1:57 pm

Set your pedals so they are comfortable under your feet what ever that takes. I like my pedals set to where my feet feel natural when pedals Are down. That keeps you from having one pedal or another not bottoming out and causing out of tune sounds. For example if having your C pedal lower than B to feel natural set it that way.
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"YANKIN' STRINGS & STOMPIN' PEDALS" since 1967.

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